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HCL uses a focused
recruitment practice to increase the labour pool from non-traditional markets
(Tier 2/Tier 3 cities in India). The objective is to increase gender
diversity in the workplace and tap into the abundant talent that is available
in the non-traditional markets.

The problem addressed by the campaign:

In 2012, 40% of new university
graduates joining the India-based IT services company will be women – up from
28% only three years ago. A significant percentage of those women are from Tier
2 and Tier 3 cities (basically, cities smaller than India’s largest cluster of
cities). The culture in these smaller cities and towns often restricts a number
of students, importantly girls, from moving to bigger cities to pursue their
education. Accordingly, many deserving, talented, employable candidates miss
out on the opportunities found in Tier 1 cities.

The HCL programme focuses on increasing the
employability in these regions and also helps capitalize on the abundant
available talent.

The MAD (Make a Difference)
initiative encourages students to float their entrepreneurship ideas with HCL.

HCL teamed
up with knowledge organizations such as Jawaharlal Nehru Knowledge Commission
to hire from the pool of colleges aligned to them. This ensured that the reach
to the non-traditional labour markets was effective. Several smaller
institutions that lack the infrastructure to host an independent event
leveraged this option, thereby giving their students opportunities to present
themselves to HCL.

HCL has
created training programmes – communications, assertiveness, and life coaching
– tailored to the needs of these new recruits. Such support, along with HCL’s
open-opportunity organizational structure, results in a sense of professional
engagement and personal achievement that motivates employees to tackle
difficult challenges. Professional success prompts women from these
non-traditional labour pools to reach out to their social networks and
encourage more women to choose careers in India’s fast-growing technology
industries.

For those joining the HCL BPO division, the Aspire
programme allows deserving employees working with HCL’s BPO division to train
on specific technology and programming skills and later move into the software
services division. Last year, over 150 such employees were identified for this
career move. In FY 2011–2012, HCL is aiming for 300 such moves. The Aspire
programme has streamlined cross-functional movement.

Impact:

Through
the Make a Difference initiative, the HCL recruiting team
reached out to over 100,000 students. Over 500 ideas were received, which the
team winnowed to one. HCL will help the winner implement her idea.

Just over half of the graduates
recruited last year (53%) were from India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities; 47% of
first-years who joined HCL last year were women.

HCL has created employment options
not just for women in general, but for women from non-traditional labour
markets.

In 2010, 59% of the women that HCL
hired came from so-called Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities – that is, smaller cities
that haven’t usually served as labour markets for India’s technology companies.

The company’s recruitment drive in these cities has
provided opportunities for talented women who have not generally enjoyed the
fruits of India’s economic boom.

Why has it worked?:

The campus reach programme:

Created a dedicated fresher hiring
and campus relationship management team

Targeted smaller town campuses for
recruitment

Created engagement programmes with
the campuses beyond just recruitment

Created training and assimilation
programmes for the new recruits

Provides opportunities for gainful
deployment and career management

Conclusions and Recommendations:

Think
beyond traditional campus recruitment activities.

Engage
with students through projects that convey how it is to work in a company.

Partner
with local educational institutions to ensure reach to non-traditional labour
markets.

Adapt your
recruitment strategies to the different needs of students depending on their
background (women, underprivileged youth, elderly).

Integrate your training and
development with your recruitment strategy.

Foundational Issues:

Widespread unemployability

Level of Collaboration:

Level 2: Collaboration across organizations within a country

Region:

Asia

Economic and political context:

In
February 2005, Vineet Nayar, CEO, HCL Technologies, introduced a new management
philosophy approach called Employees First, Customers Second
(EFCS).

EFCS aims to create a unique
employee organization, drive an inverted organizational structure, create
transparency and accountability within the organization, and encourage a value-driven
culture.

Part of the EFCS philosophy is
inclusion and a focus on the development of women.